1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to a rolling mill machine for longitudinal profile bending of thin plate and, more specifically, to such a machine for the manufacturing of building plates with selectively different trapezoidal cross sections. The basic machine includes a number of shaping stations with free-rolling work rolls. Separate from the shaping stations, drive stations are employed for feeding the strip through the shaping stations. The work rolls in each shaping station are disposed in rows extending transversely across the strip with one row on one side of the strip being aligned with another row on the other side of the strip. The work rolls on the one side of the strip are spaced laterally between the work rolls on the other side so that the strip is shaped by means of free-forming therebetween.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
German Laid Open Patent Appln. No. 29 41 180 discloses one type of rolling mill configuration employed to form plate with a trapezoidal cross section. The work rolls disclosed therein are adjustable both horizontally and vertically to allow production of different profiles. However, to eliminate any requirement to change the rolls, the shaping is done in two stages. Initially, the plate is pre-shaped to form a round, corrugated profile with the finished width for the strip. A final stage includes shaping to the desired trapezoidal profile without the width of the strip or plate being changed. The final shaping step is replaced when changing to another profile. The adjustments between pre-rolling and finish rolling require capable personnel to insure that the change is not too time-consuming.
In PCT International Published Application No. WO 87/04375, a free-forming rolling machine is disclosed in which the work rolls are mounted in pairs on beams which are oriented at right angles to the strip's direction of movement. Different profile forms can be obtained by shifting the pairs of work rolls along the beams and by internal adjustment of the rolls of the pair. Presumably, test runs are then required as well as fine-tuning before the production run of each new profile form.
In German Laid Open Patent Appln. No. 28 16 993, a shaping machine is described which has, in the conventional manner, whole profiled and driven rolls which both form and drive the strip. The machine includes different sets of rolls which can be indexed into operative position but would appear to require relative fine-tuning for satisfactory operation.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,545 discloses a configuration for changing the rolls by rotating them, there does not appear to include such changing for the purposes of changing the profile.
The above-mentioned German Patent Application and U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,545 are incorporated by reference as if they are included in their entirety herein.